Molecular modeling is not only about computing accurate data—it’s also about communicating results clearly. Whether you’re preparing a presentation for collaborators, teaching a class, or creating a validation animation for reviewers, it’s crucial to control where your audience is looking.
The Dolly camera animation tool in SAMSON helps you guide focus throughout an animation by allowing the camera to move closer or farther from molecular components—while changing both position and target point. This is different from a traditional zoom, and that makes a big difference for clarity.
Why It Matters
When trying to highlight the active site of a protein, or a ligand entering a channel, or any structural event in a dynamic system, simply zooming in isn’t always enough. A static target point can result in awkward, uninformative compositions. With the Dolly camera, you define both where the camera moves from and to, and how the target focus shifts along the way.
This is particularly useful when you want to layer in rendering effects such as fog or depth of field, which depend on a meaningful target point. You remain in full control of the perception of depth and visual attention, making your animation much more effective.
How the Dolly Camera Works
To add a Dolly camera animation:
- Go to the Animator and select your start frame.
- Orient the camera as you would like it at the start.
- Double-click Dolly camera in the Animation panel.
- Set the end frame and adjust the final camera view.
You can further refine how the animation looks using several properties:
- Apply to active camera: Determines whether the animation affects the currently selected camera.
- Keep camera upwards: Useful when working in grids; it helps maintain consistent orientation during camera movements.
- Easing curve: Controls the rate of movement to provide smoother or more dynamic transitions.
Refining the Movement
After placing the animation, use the animator’s camera controllers to precisely set camera positions and targets. This gives you frame-by-frame control to ensure that the trajectory feels natural and remains focused on your point of interest.
Before vs. After
Compare a simple zoom with a thoughtful dolly movement and you’ll see the difference. A dolly shot draws the viewer in, not just by getting closer, but by exploring a spatial route. Combined with depth-of-field and fog effects, it creates a far more engaging and understandable view of molecular events.
To learn more about all options and usage of the Dolly camera animation, explore the full documentation page: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/dolly-camera/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.